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A look at the latest restaurant tech trends on hand at FSTECA look at the latest restaurant tech trends on hand at FSTEC

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Managing Editor

September 26, 2023

FSTEC, the annual conference of foodservice information executives and technology vendors, was recently held in Dallas, featuring a wide array of technology and restaurant executives.

Given that pandemic restrictions had eased and travel to conferences had increased this year, the 2023 FSTEC drew its largest number of attendees ever, organizers said.

The program ranged for Innovation Forum, such as one sponsored by Olo that delved into making restaurants more personal with data, to general sessions that featured restaurant executives and their look at the future of technology in foodservice, from artificial intelligence to the use of new sources of information on customers.

Of course, NRN senior technology editor Joanna Fantozzi was on the scene, and today she joins us to share what she learned.

About the Author

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister

Managing Editor

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister is a managing editor for Informa’s Foodservices Vertical, specifically Nation’s Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality, and Foodservice Director.  Leigh Anne works on all of the brands’ special reports, including Nation’s Restaurant News’ annual Top 500 report and Restaurant Hospitality’s Best Cocktails and Best Sandwiches contests. She also manages the group’s digital engagement team, and was the managing editor for Supermarket News until December 2024.

Leigh Anne lives in New York City, but also claims Phoenix, Dallas and Cleveland as hometowns. Leigh Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she also studied European history. 

Email Leigh Anne at [email protected] 

Leigh Anne Zinsmeister’s experience: 

  • Group Managing Editor, Informa’s Foodservices Vertical (Aug. 2021-present)

  • Group Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (Feb. 2020-Aug. 2021)

  • Digital Content Manager, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (April 2018-Feb. 2020)

  • Digital Content Producer, Informa Restaurant and Food Group (June 2016-April 2018)

  • Community Moderator, Mail Online (March 2014-June 2016)

  • Wire Editor, Gannett’s Phoenix Design studio (The Arizona Republic, The Reno Gazette-Journal, The Statesman Journal, The Great Falls Tribune, The Visalia Times-Delta, The Tulare Advance Register, The Salinas Californian, The St. George Spectrum, The Desert Sun, The Coloradoan) (Jan. 2012-March 2014)

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